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What’s the Difference Between Gallbladder
and Kidney Stones?
What’s the Difference Between Gallbladder
and Kidney Stones?
Gallstones
Kidney Stones
Digestive tract
Urinary tract
Where they develop:
Can be as small as a grain of sand to as big as a golf ball.
How big are they?
Can be as small as a grain of sand, and can grow up to several centimeters in diameter.
They cause a blockage in the gallbladder or the bile ducts.
They cause pain when:
They move through the urinary tract (into the ureter) and block the flow of urine.
Gallstones cause pain in the mid-upper abdomen that may radiate to the back or under the right shoulder.
Where it hurts:
Kidney stones cause sharp pain in the lower back or side of the body that may radiate to the lower abdomen and groin.
Nausea, vomiting, sweating, fever.
Other symptoms:
Blood in the urine, painful urination, inability to urinate or frequent urination.
Often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever or sweating.
Gallstones are most common in middle-age adults. Increased risk for women, adults over 40 and people who are overweight, have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time or take cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Who’s at risk?
Kidney stones are most common in middle-age adults. Increased risk for people who have a family history of kidney stones, very low urine output or other health condition that affect the levels of certain substances in the urine.
A diet high in fat or cholesterol.
Foods that contribute:
A diet high in sodium, oxalates or animal protein. Insufficient intake of fluids or calcium.
Gallbladder removal (most can be done laparoscopically).
Treatment:
Smaller stones (<10mm) may pass on their own, or with the help of medications that can relax the ureter. A number of minimally invasive surgical options are also available.
Yes. If you experience gallstones once, it is more likely that you will have them again. This is why your doctor may suggest removing the gallbladder.
Can you get them again?
Yes, many people have recurrent kidney stones. The risk of forming more stones is actually higher than the first-time risk for the general population.
Gallbladder
Kidney
Gallstones
Kidney Stones